Revolving-piston steam-engine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. E. LEONARD. EEVOLVING PIsToN STEAM ENGINE.

No. 397,299. Patented Feb. 5, 1889.

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(No Model.) 39Slleets-Sheet 2..v

' W. E. LEONARD. f

REVOLVING PISTON STEAM ENGINE. No. 397,299. Patented Feb. 5. v1889.

'/IIIIIHIII lllllllllll W. E. LEONARD'. EEVOLVING EISTON STEAM ENGINE.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No' Model.)

No. 397,299. Patented Feb. 5, 1889.

'PATENT lVlLLIAM E. LEONARD, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

REVOLVING-PISTON STEAM-ENGINE.

` SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,299, dated February 5, 1889. Application filed December l2, 1887. Serial No. 257,694. (No model.)

T0 all whom it 17m/y concern.:

Be it known that I, XVILLIAM E. LEONARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Concentric- Piston Steam-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to that class of engines in which a series of arms or pistons fixed to a central shaftrevolve within a concentric cylinder or casing, subject to the pressure of the steam which acts between them, and gates or diaphragms which are movable into and out of the cylinder in the proper manner to permit the passa-ge of the pistons thereby.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l 'is a perspective viewof my complete engine. Fig. 2 is a vertical axial section through the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 4. is a perspective view ofthe cylinder or casing, with one side or head removed to eX- pose the .internal gates and pistons v to view. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the pistons. Fig. Gis a perspective view of one of the gates or diaphragms. Fig. 7 is ahorizontal section through the cylinder and steamports through the line c cof Fig. 3. Fig. Sis a horizontal section of the steam-chest with the valves removed to expose the ports. Fig. 9 is a similar view of the valves in position.

In the drawings, X2 is a base-frame provided with uprights XL", which rigidly support a short cylinder or ringO, the axis of which is horizontal. 'lhecylinderis closed by two side plates or heads, R, bolted rigidly thereto, as shown in Figs. I, 2, and 7, and strengthened by ribs R5, these heads being dished or depressed centrally, so that atv the middle they are but slightly separated. A shaft, NV, is passed horizontally through the center of the cylinder and its heads, and sustained by boxes or bearings M on the latter and by a bearing on a standard, X, which rises rigidly from the base-frame. IYithin the cylinder the shaft has fixed upon it a hub, P, fitting closely between and against the cylinder-heads and provided with three equidistant radial pistons or arms, Q, each of which spans the space between the cylilnler-heads and lits at the outer end closely to the inner surface of the cylinder. These pistons are provided with grooves c, containing packing material, and with perforationsp, communicating with said grooves, through which the steam acts on the packing, as in other engines. The arrangement is such that the pistons may revolve freely around the axis of the shaft to effect its rotation.

In order to divide'the interior of the cylinder into separate steam-chambers and so coniine the steam that it may act on one side only of the piston, I provide at diametrically-opposite point-s two gates, diaphragms, or abutments, A A ,each consisting of a metal plate, so pivoted and arranged that it may swing into and out of the cylinder in the direction of its axis so as to span for the time being the space between the cylinder-heads and confine the steam on. one side of the respective pistons, and thereafter to withdraw entirely from the cylinder that the pistons may sueeessively pass in the course of their rotation. These gates swing outward through slots in the inner cylinder-heads into .receiving-chambers N, formed on or bolted to the outside of the head, as shown, the parts being suitably fitted to prevent the leakage of steam.

Each gate has its inner end forked to straddle the shaft, as shown at A, and pivoted to lugs U on the cylinder-head. The gates are opened and closed at different times by pitmen T, joined lone to each gate, and each connected in turn to a lever, d., pivoted on the frame and provided with a roller or stud, e, entering a sinuous groove, D, in a hub, z', fixed on the main shaft.

the spaces or chambers within the cylinder- This cam-groove is so shaped that each gate is opened or withdrawnl between the rear faces of the 'pist-ons and the gates, I provide a peculiar valve mechanism, so constructed that the motion of the engine may be reversed at will by admitting the steam on the right or left of the gates-that is to say, before or behind them, as demanded.

The construction is as follows: A steam- IOO chest, q, constantly tilled with live steam, is nlounted at the top oit the cylinder and provided in the bottoni with two live-stea1n ports,

fr and an intermediate exhaust-port, on. The live-steani ports `l' 9" are continued until they open into the cylinder just; Aforward ot therespective `gates or diaphrag'ms A A', while the exhaust-port leads to the air or to a discharge-pipe. These three ports are used when the engine runs in one direction and operate in connection with a reciprocating' D-valve, .l`, which acts to direct `the steam through the ports `r r alternately into the cylinder and :from the cylinder through said ports alternately to the exhaustport in a manner which will be understood by every vmechanic familiar with ordinary slidevalve ene'ines. To drive the engine in the reve e direction, I provide a second and simi-lar series ol ports, s s and m', the first two leadin from the chest into the cylinder behind the respective gates or diaphragms. The port m delivers the exhauststean'i. Inlove this second series of ports in connection with the same slide-valve, J, which controls thetirstseries; and in order that. this may be done the valve is 'made adj ustable laterally, or, in other words, at right angles to its path ot' reci procation, so that itmay be moved :trom a position over one set ot ports to a like position over the otherset. To eft'ect this lateral adjustment'of the slide-valve which causes the reversal of the en gine, and at the same time close that series ot ports which is for the time being' out of use, I provide the large reversing-valve K, movably seated in the steam-chest and grooved or slotted at its middle to receive and guide the slide-valve. This large valve is movable at right angles to the line et travel ot' the slidevalve, and has at opposite sides ot' the latter wide i in'perforate faces which act alternate] y tocover the idle ports. The reversi11g-valve is providtfd with a stem, Y), projecting to the enterior ot' thechest and attached to a handlever, Y, or equivalent operating' devices, by which the reversing-valve may be conven iently shifted. The slide-valve is actuated by a reciprocatin'gl stem, I, projected through thecliest and provided at its inner end, asin Fig'. 9, with a wrist or arm, I', lyin at right angles thereto and passing loosely through an ear on the slide-valve, so as to maintain it s connection wh il eperlni tti n g the slide-valve to be adjusted lztterally for reversing pnr` poses.

The steam-ports `l' and 's are `in the n'csent instancecontinued throug'hor formed in part by pipes r1, "which are curved outward to cape the shatt; but they maybe formed in Aany other manner.

The ports maybe (arried through the chant bersvN, fas shown, to the cylinder, or they may liewholly outside ol' steam-ehaml ers, as pre- 'lei-red, the only requirement being that they shall conduct the steam from the steam-chest into the cylinder on opposite sides oli the gates or diaphragms.

The slide-valve stem I is attached to a suitably-guided cross-head and connected by rod Il to an adjustable slide, G, on a lever, F, pivotod to a rigid arm, X", and connetjfted at its lower end to a lever, d', which is in turn pivoted to the traine and ln'ovided with a stud or roller, f, seated in a cam-groove, E, in the bet`ore-1n enti oned hub ,e on the main shatt. This combination of part-s gives t-he required i'eeiproeation to the slide-valve, eausin it to direct the steam into and out of the one se ries ot' ports or the other, according to the direction in which the engine is running'.

The slide G is connected by links L to an elbow-lever, Z, on a lived ar1n,sothatbymoving,A the last-named lever the slide may be moved on the lever F to or from its tulcru n1, antflfthns the throw ot' the main valve and its point ol` out ot't vary, as tflesired.

I am aware that rotary'piston-engines have been variously constructed with gates or alni'tnents arranged to slide in V,g'uides in fright lines across the interior ol' the cylinder.

By pivoting,l the gates at the inner end, so that they receive support Vfrom the pivots, 4I ain enabled to reduce the vwear and Vfriction, land to operate them 'by connections located 'near the axis and havin g' short movement, so that the operating-cains and pendent parts V`inay be small and compact.

Havin thus described my i1rvention,what I cla-im ism l l. In a rotarypiston engine, the cylinder, the central rotary shat't and its pistons, and. the pivoted gates moval'ilc axially across the cylinder, in f :ombinatimi with the grooved cam on the central shaft and the `frate-tiptntlltingr pitman connected with saitfleam.

In a rotaiy-lvriston engine, the cylinder, the entral shaft and its three pistons, "the two gates jpivoted near the center ol' the cylinder and arranged to swingl across its interior in the direction 'of its axis, the steafnisehest with ports lead ingI `to the cylinder, the slidevalve, cams on the main shaft, and con'neetions t'rom one cani to the gates and from the other cam to the valve, wherel'iy the gates are opened in advance of and closed behind the lpistons and the steam admitted to and dem livered trom the cyl in der at the retipiiredfti mesd 3. In combination with the cylinder, pistons, gates, and stcam-ehest provided with 4ports leadingl to the cylinder on omiositesid'es oi the lgates, the slide-valve adjustable aft right angles to its working-path that it Amay `be brought over either seri ot.' ports at will, and a second valve, substantially as shown, for closingthose ports which are foi-the Vtiin'e beingl out ot' use, whereby the motion ot rthe engine may be reversed at will.

In a rotaryengine, and in tfoinbination with the tivo independent series of ports to pei-init reversal ot' the eng-ine, the main sliding valve K, adapted to close the two series The cylinder, the shaft and its pistons,

and the gates, in Combination with the steamchest and its connecting-ports, the slide-valve, the rod H, connected thereto, the slide G, to which the rod is Connected, the lever F, the I5 @am on the main shaft to actnate the lever, and thelever Z, to move the slide.

VILLIAM E. LEONARD.

Witnesses:

J. W. RULIFSON, WM. W. RULIFSON. 

